Several top army and police veterans have cautioned the government and the Right-wing ecosystem against branding Ladakhis as anti-national, warning that such profiling could have serious national security consequences.
The agitation, led by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), has seen a sharp escalation in recent days, with Ladakhi leaders withdrawing from proposed talks with the Centre and demanding an apology for the vilification of protest leaders, particularly climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been accused of having foreign links.
Pro-BJP social media accounts and sections of the Ladakh administration have aggressively sought to discredit the movement, accusing it of being influenced by Pakistan or other foreign actors, a claim dismissed by many within India’s strategic and security community.
Some strong voices in the country are warning against the campaign, given the region’s proximity to China and Pakistan. Though the population of Ladakh is minuscule — less than 3 lakh — the place is home to thousands of serving and retired army officers and jawans. Tsewang Tharchin, one of the four civilians killed in recent police firing, was a Kargil War veteran. His father also served in the army as an honorary captain.
The profiling has drawn ire from former Major General G.D. Bakshi, known for his hawkish and pro-BJP stand. Bakshi said the country cannot “afford to alienate” these “brave and patriotic people” living in a place which is “very vital and strategic border state”.
“Ladakhi demands are not outlandish. They want the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. What is so wrong with that? The BJP had promised it. Why can’t we give it?” he asked, referring to its existence in the Northeast.
Bakshi said that though the violence was wrong, the country should “be very sympathetic to any genuine grievances”.
“For God’s sake, we can’t afford to be insensitive in such a vital border state,” he said.
Former Lt General G.S. Panag was more blunt. “The nation will pay a heavy price for alienating the most loyal and patriotic people amongst us all,” he said.
Prakash Singh, former BSF director-general of police, regretted that the “irony could not be sharper” that a region that remained untouched by militancy for decades “now finds itself in turmoil because promises of autonomy have been hollowed out”.
“The central government’s challenge is to recognise that Ladakh’s demands are not secessionist but rooted in the desire for meaningful self-governance within India. Ignoring these aspirations risks converting disappointment into chronic unrest,” he said in a post.
Others said that if the Sixth Schedule was anti-national, why did the BJP include it in its 2019 manifesto?
Leading the campaign against the agitation was BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya. He recently uploaded a “cropped” video where Wangchuk refers to agitation in neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, suggesting he was acting against the country.
“Anarchist Sonam Wangchuk first incited mobs on 10th Sept, and with Congress’s help, he set Leh on fire on 24th Sept. His actions have been anything but peaceful.”
But the full video, uploaded by his critics, shows Wangchuk disapproving of the violence that occurred in these nations. “I believe unlike them, with all that violence, turmoil and stone pelting, Ladakh will bring a peaceful change, a peaceful revolution,” he said.
Hardliner Tushar Gupta, in a post, asked: “How the tribal interests of a few thousand people, in a region with a population density of 5 per sqkm supersedes the national security and strategic interests of 140 crore people against a country which has 5 times the economy?”
Former Brigadier Sandeep Thapar responded to how the Sixth Schedule demands “clash with strategic and national interests?”
“The community there has always willingly promoted the interests of the armed forces. Having been posted there for two years, have seen their coop with own eyes,” he said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday uploaded a video of a former army officer who lost his son (Tharchin) in Wednesday’s violence.
“Father a soldier, son also a soldier — those whose blood runs with patriotism. Yet the BJP government took the life of the country’s brave son by shooting him, just because he stood up for Ladakh and his rights,” Rahul said in the post. “The father’s pained eyes are just asking one question — is this the reward for serving the country today?”
Ladakh LG Kavinder Gupta said on Tuesday that no one involved in acts of violence here on September 24 would be spared, as he inquired about the condition of more than 100 security personnel who were injured in the attacks by protesters.